[Proportion of breast cancer in women aged 50 to 69 years from Girona, Spain, according to detection method]

Abstract

Background and objective: The aim of this study was to determine the tumor stage, the proportion of cases and the age specific rate of breast cancer (BC) cases according to detection method.

Material and method: Cases of women aged 50 to 69 years diagnosed with BC in the Girona province during 1999-2006 were extracted from the population-based Girona Cancer Registry (n=1,254). BC was classified by detection method: screen-detected cancer, interval cancer and others. Proportion of cases and age-specific incidence were calculated according to detection method.

Results: During the period 2002-2006, the proportion of screen-detected cancers, interval cancers and other cancers were 42.2%, 5.8% and 52.2%, respectively. After implementation of the early detection of breast cancer program (PDPCM), the incidence of screen-detected cases raised; thereafter, interval cancers also increased and the rate of other cancers decreased.

Conclusions: In the Girona province during the fully implemented PDPCM period (2002-2006), interval cancers represented a low proportion (5.8%) of women diagnosed with BC at 50 to 69 years old.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Cáncer de intervalo; Cáncer de mama; Interval cancer; Programa de cribado; Screening program.